


Mechaniacs

by Sorsera



Category: Dishonored (Video Games), Dishonored 2 - Fandom
Genre: Blood, F/M, Neurology & Neuroscience, Unethical Medicine, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-08-31 23:27:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8598001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorsera/pseuds/Sorsera
Summary: The story of Dr. Addison Lynch, a neuroscientist who played an important role in the past and will again in the future.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So there was no Kirin Jindosh x OC/Reader fanfiction online, but I NEED IT, so I decided to write it myself. I hope you enjoy.

*click* „Dr. Addison Lynch, 20th day, the Month of Rain 1852 8:25 pm, subject 1B, male around 33, brain relatively intact. The Cortex, Cerebellum and Medulla display no signs of an infection on the outside. I am separating the lateral part of the temporal lobe to get a closer look at the Limbic system. The Limbic system displays no...“ I rearranged the magnifier and the light to get a better look, „... I correct, the posterior part of the amygdalae has turned dark red, black almost.“ *click* „This is marvelous.“ I whispered.  
Finally, I got my hands on a Nest Keeper and not a corpse simply inhibited by bloodflies. I had to steal and ship it personally to Addermire Institute.  
*click* „Victim probably wasn‘t infected for a long time. Hypothesis: Function of the amygdalae reduced, so victims won‘t feel fear while living near and for bloodflies. Hypothesis: Parts of the frontal lobe infected too, which leads to a complete change or loss of personality. Have to examine other bodies in different stages.“ *click* 

This is going to be problematic. It‘s nearly impossible to leave Addermire since they locked it up, because of Dr. Hypatia. I still don‘t know why. My guess is she‘s working on a cure and they want to keep her safe from the Crown Killer.  
Anyways, I need other samples to continue my research and hopefully confirm the hypothesis. I need to satisfy my curiosity and get my reputation back.  
But last time was difficult enough: Bribing the captain of the supply ship with the coins I saved for years, one ‘Whisky and cigars‘ date with the Overseer responsible for departing the corpses, thank god he kept the mask on, stealing his keys after he fell asleep and carrying a rotting, 80kg body on my back for 2 hours. I am not sure if I can do it a second time.

I put the punch card out of the audio recorder and made a copy, which I stored in by bag. Always ready to vanish, if I have to. 

Someone knocked at the door and didn‘t wait for me to answer. „Miss Lynch, it‘s bath time now.“ I sighed, closed my eyes and simply nodded. Very few of them actually acknowledge my title, since I am a woman and well maybe because I did something in the past that brought me here. But I like to think they are just sexists.

The bathroom was already hot and steamy, I undressed myself and climbed into the bathtub my arms resting on the sides. Only a white curtain isolates me from the guard sitting on a chair next to me. This time I didn‘t even bother to close it. He would place his chair so he can watch anyway. He was always watching. 

I lost a lot of weight the last 2 years since I was brought here. I was provided better in Dunwall, even when the plague was at its worst. My ribs and hipbones are standing out now, my skin unhealthy pale with a purple undertone, dried, dark blood underneath my fingernails, my inner thighs were a little bruised from the night with the Overseer. I bit my lip and smiled, it wasn‘t that bad though. 

„Ten minutes left Miss.“ I leaned over the sides with both arms, facing the guard, „Maybe...20 minutes?“ I asked, with my right thumb moving over my bottom lip, bringing it up to my mouth locking my eyes with his. „No, you ask this every time.“ I answered with the lowest voice I could do „And I know you want this. You like to watch, don‘t you?“ I moaned „I know you want to fuck me George, take me from behind, pull my hair. What‘s your kink? Shall I call you Daddy? I could do that.“ He shifted nervously „No, I...I don‘t fuck with maniacs, I heard what you did and my name is not George! 5 minutes and you have to leave!“ I laughed „Well, thats your loss. And it‘s Doctor.“ and dived underwater.

Twenty minutes later I was in my bed. It was next to a window, I could see a storm coming and the waves building up higher and higher below me. I extinguished the candle next to me and used the last few moments of moon light to write some sentences into my notebook before I stored it in my backpack. One last thing left to do then: taking my meds, waiting for them to kick in and letting the darkness consume my thoughts. 

Eight hours later, I was up and dressed, my dark grey, shoulder long hair was brushed and my black eyeliner and dark red lipstick flawless on my face. „Ready for a new day!“ I exclaimed to my reflection.

Suddenly I heard screams, followed by rumbling and shattering glass. „Someone left the door open! WHERE ARE THE OTHER...“ I heard something was ripped off and a muffled sound. I held my breath, it was definitely on this floor. Just before I decided it was time to get my things and get the hell out, the guard "George" was thrown through my glass door, decapitated. I stood there in shock for 2 seconds, which was one second too long. The creature or what it was, and I looked at each other. She looked oddly like Dr. Hypatia but less human. „I always wondered what your flesh would taste like...“ Oh hell no. I grabbed my backpack and jumped right through the window next to my bed. If I had to decide how to die I am rather taking this option than to be decapitated and eaten by that thing. 

Glass shattering, skin sliced open and then I hit the water surface and the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

It was cold, dark and foggy. I couldn‘t breathe or move, my body was pinned to the ground. Was that it? The end? I was just lying there in silence, completely numb of everything. No pain, no emotions. Until a face appeared in front of mine. It was a man, his eyes were completely black. „Look who we have here. Time has come for you it seems. Dr. Addison Lynch, once the person that was loved to be quoted, now the person that has to be, unwillingly. I see disgust on their faces when they think about you. Though there have been worse people, in my opinion. But were those tests really necessary? I bet you asked yourself this question, over and over and over again.“ he examined my face  
„Mhmm, I won‘t give you anything, you don‘t need it, you are not important to me. But to someone else, who needs you. So...“ he moved to the other side „...I guess I will give you another chance. To prove yourself and do whats right and has to be done.“ he was close to my ear now „Farewell.“ he whispered.

I awoke with a start and threw up in the bucket that was standing next to me. Water, dirt, blood and bile. I felt like my body tried to get rid of my gastrointestinal tract completely. After eternity it seems, I sat up, sweating, cold and weak. I closed my eyes for a second and breathed in and out. Where was I?  
That was when the immense pain hit me and I cried out. I looked to the source of it. My left arm was bandaged, my hand only a big white and red lump.   
What happened?! Desperately I searched for my backpack, found it under the metal bed had I jumped out of a few minutes before and turned it upside down. Everything was completely soaked. Where are the painkillers? ... There!   
I swallowed five of them and laid down on the floor. Tears running down my face as I smashed my head onto the floor, distracting myself, waiting for them to kick in.   
I have never felt anything like this before. „Please stop this, please, stop..“ I whined bitterly, rocking forth and back. 

A few minutes later the pills operated and I dared to stand up, holding onto a counter with my functioning arm. There was a mirror and sink right in front of me, but it cost me my last energy to go there. Left leg, right leg, left leg, right leg and I was there and was shocked about what I saw. My face was even paler then before, bloodshot eyes, my lips dark purple and bursted, a bloody lesion on my right temple. My clothes ragged and wet, blood all over it. But what did I expect? 

I turned the valve and drank in small sips. I removed my shirt and pants and started to clean the my wounds. Fortunately most of them weren‘t that deep.   
Someone put a needle and threads next to the sink, a few of them definitely need some stitching. 

After I was relatively intact and put on some dry clothes I found, a black shirt some black pants which I had to pull up to my waist with my belt to make it fit, I decided it was time to look at the total loss which was my left arm.   
Carefully I unwrapped the bandage to my wrist and inspected it. „Shoulder definitely sore, was probably dislocated...“ I muttered, „Upper arm intact, forearm... very bruised but no distortion, broken? maybe?“ Now the last part. I removed the last bandage and almost threw the water up again.   
My wrist was strangely twisted, „wrist... turned about 90 degrees“ and what once has been my hand was just... „Hand, not a hand anymore. Fingers angled and smashed in all directions. Glass and stones everywhere ...defin..definitely..“ but I could stand the look of it. „Broken.“ I said to my reflection and retched. This is not real. This can‘t be real. I hyperventilated, „Get it together goddammit!“

I cleaned the meat lump as good as possible and tried to stabilize the hand and fingers with some pens I found but it didn‘t work. I decided it was time to give up and just bandaged it again. It needs surgery. 

Just as I finished the knot, someone opened the metal door and came in carrying a tray with a loaf of bread and a steaming mug. „Oh good, you are awake.“ She put the tray down onto the counter. I turned around, facing her.  
„Who are you? Where am I?“ „My name is Meagen Foster, I am the captain of this ship, the Dreadful Whale, which you are on.“ „And what happened? The last thing I remembered was that I jumped out of a window at Addermire.“ She seemed annoyed by all my questions and sighed „Yeah and that‘s pretty much all that happened. You jumped, hit a rock and sank down unconscious. Someone pulled you out and into my boat then we brought you here.“   
I opened my mouth but she answered first: „She will tell you everything. Now eat, drink and recover. We have work to do.“ and left.   
For two seconds I accepted not knowing what was going on, but my curiosity drove me to the door and I was about to open it with a witty comment, however I hesitated when I saw Emily Kaldwin and Meagen talking on the corridor. It had to be her, I had seen her once when she was around 12 when I was at the Dunwall Tower and last week on a reward poster when I was stealing the corpse. 

„...I still don‘t understand why we need her.“ „I know what she did, but she was a great help the last time Dunwall was at stake, maybe she will be now, too. Besides we don‘t have much of a choice, since Dr. Hypatia...could not make it.“ „If you say so.“ „I do and it‘s not up for debate, sorry Meagen, we need as much geniuses as we can get. By the way, we need to leave before dawn. I don‘t want to keep Jindosh waiting.“ They left.

Jindosh? Did she mean Kirin Jindosh?


	3. Chapter 3

Grand Inventor Kirin Jindosh. Owner of the well known clockwork mansion and former student of Anton Sokolov. One of 4 persons I had on my list of people I definitely wanted to meet. Dr Hypatia was already checked and Sokolov, too, since I worked with him on the cure for the plague. But Jindosh was different. We share a fact that changed our whole careers: banned from the Academy for life, for reasons that are still not public. Well at least Jinoshs‘, mine spread around like a second plague. 24 hours were enough and everyone in Dunwall knew what I had done and I was ”asked nicely“ to leave the city. The last person on the list was Delilah Copperspoon. Great artist, twisted mind, but surely great for inspiration, but now, sitting on the throne, harder to reach then ever.

It probably would take some time before Emily would come back and I would be able to interrogate her about everything and the clockwork mansion. I sighed ”I wish I could be there.“ I heard he developed mechanical soldiers, way more impressive than the Tallboys were, they work completely without human interaction. Imagine the opportunities: Give them the ability to feel or to learn by themselves. Learning to react properly in conversations, giving advice based on statistics or based on intuition. And so much more.

I decided to spent the time on cleaning, drying and sorting my notes and things I had in the backpack and there was still the hand issue, that had to be taken of.   
Most of the punch cards were ruined, but I was able to copy them almost identically with some old tools I found in the workshop. Unfortunately half of my written notes were completely ruined. The ones that weren‘t made out of ink survived, but it weren‘t many.  
I let them fall between my legs on the ground and grabbed the pillow next to me just to scream in it for a minute: ”HALF A YEAR OF WORK R U I N E D!“ and then indistinct screaming. How am I supposed to reproduce all correlates and possible causalities without any evidence and notes? I didn‘t know if I would be able to continue my studies now, after all that happened. All the evidences and no corpses. I doubt that Emily would bring me one. She did mention that she needs me for something and maybe I could ask her for a favor, but I guess being here and alive is favor enough. I stood up and moved to the window, it must be around 2 p.m. I could see Serkonos from here. Even if I wanted to leave „Where would I go?“   
Not back to Addermire, not back to Dunwall. Maybe there was a university here in Serkonos. I could fake some of my papers, change my name, get my hand fixed...I stared on my flesh lump. I knew enough about anatomy to tell that it would be tough task for a skilled surgeon and impossible for me, even if I wouldn‘t be on this ship and had my tools and laboratory. „Maybe I should just...“ No. I observed my former hand. Chopping it off wasn‘t an option. But the pain will be back soon.

I leaned out of the window, a pleasant breeze, my hair brushing my face. If that one subject hadn‘t been escaped, everything would have been different.  
My stomach announced with a loud noise it was time to eat, I totally forgot.   
I got comfortable in the bed with the loaf of bread. After eating it up and washing down a few more pain killers, I fell asleep. 

I woke at 2 am, someone was screaming in pain. It was me. My hand was hot and I felt my own heartbeat in it. I removed the bandage and inspected it. From my top of fingers down to the wrist it was pitch black. I just stared at it, unable to move, not knowing what to do, when it started to melt. Thick black liquid, running down my arm, burning everything in its way. „Addison, wake up!“  
It wasn‘t me screaming, it was someone else. A man. And the person who just had woken me up was Emily. „We need your help. Come.“ This was clearly and order. 

She guided me into the next room, where Sokolov was convulsed in pain on the couch. „What happened?“ „Doesn‘t matter now, help him!“ „I am a neuroscientist not a internist.“ „I don‘t care and if you want to stay on this boat and not be thrown into the ocean right now, you do the best you can to help him.“ That was pretty clear.  
I found some health elixirs, some flowers and herbs on the table next to him.  
The herbs wouldn‘t be strong enough. I removed the elixir and poured it into a beaker, went back to my room and crushed a few of the painkillers, added them and heated the mixture up until it was dissolved. Emily was watching the whole time. „I am going to need more of those“ I showed her the painkillers „there won‘t enough in a few days.“ She nodded.   
I poured the mixture back into its original vascular, sat down next to Sokolov and injected a bit. It seemed to work. The loud moaning and screaming changed into softer tones and deeper breaths. I turned around and saw Emily standing with the back to me facing Meagen, who entered a few seconds ago, so I took a sip. It was pretty strong.

„What do you mean, you don‘t know where to put him?“ „We don‘t have enough space Emily. Besides someone should watch him. I thought about putting him outside or in the machine room, but honestly I am sure he will just rip out something he can reach and build a clockwork soldier right here, from scratch“ Did she, did Emily...Were they talking about Jindosh? Of course. I sure as hell would volunteer to babysit him all day and all night.   
„Put him in her room.“ „Are you sure about that? I mean Emily, both of them are batshit crazy. One slightly more then the other, no offense though“ Well she wasn‘t wrong: „None taken. I will take him, honestly I thought about running, but this thing“ I held up my blood lump „and I shouldn‘t go anywhere anytime soon.“ Emily nodded „You don‘t really argue in your favor, but it‘s not like we have a choice anyway...Fine, but put some handcuffs on him, don‘t put him near anything small and metallic he could reach, to crack them. The door will be open all the time and windows closed at night. Someone will check at least every 2 hours if everything is fine. “ Meagen nodded "Maybe we shoulf hancuff her, too?" Emily examined me "No. She knows what will happen if she tries anything." Meagen left. 

„Addison, is that really you?“ Sokolov seemed to have woken up. „In flesh and blood.“  
Emily was at my side shortly after she heard him and he smiled at her, before he fell asleep. „How is he?“ „He is fine and will probably recover. I quick checked him for internal and external wounds, but it doesn‘t seem to be that bad. Give him a few days, maybe a week.“ „Thank you!“ She sounded relieved and took his hand. I gave her the elixir and left. She wasn't right. I didn't know what exactly would happen, if I tried something, but I also wasn't eager to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

As I stepped into my room, Meagen was chaining up Jindoshs wrists and ankles, he was unconscious and I disappointed. „That‘s it.“ She pull forcefully on the long chains to make sure they were secure. She walked past me but hesitated right next to me „Don‘t. Try. Anything. Is that clear?“ „Yes, Ma‘m.“ God, all this hate. If there would be one more person on this ship with these feelings towards me, we could start a competition on who hates me more. I am the first one who would sign up for this. I glanced over my shoulder too see if she was gone and moved to Jindosh quickly. 

He had hematoma around his neck, Emily must have strangled him unconscious. On his left hand were one finger missing, the thumb was half way gone. His clothes were brown and looked expensive. Blood was on his white collar and his brown jacket was lying underneath him. I walked back to my bag and grabbed my flashlight. Back at Jindoshs mattress, I kneeled down to inspect the wounds. Can‘t have another genius invalid on this ship, one with a smashed hand, one unconscious in a risky constitution and then one without a voice or amnesia because of the possible lack of oxygen. 

I palpated his neck. Good „The hematoma is pretty visible but only on the outside, it seems. Can‘t feel any lumps. Trachea and gullet probably intact. Need to wake the subject to get further information.“ I leaned over him and turned on my flashlight, rising up his eyelid, testing the „Dilation of the pupil no...“ my voice was failing, instead I felt a hand around my throat and heard another voice finishing my sentence „Normal. No major dysfunctions of the brain to be expected“ both of his eyes were open now, studying my face. „Hello, Dr. Lynch.“ 

He was pressing on the aorta on my neck, I hold myself up by grabbing his arm, he was stronger than he looked. As black dots started jumping up and down in my field of view, I knew it would only take a few more seconds before I would be unconscious.  
„Now, now, where are my manners.“ and he let go and sat up „My name is Kirin Jindosh, as you know.“ He set upright, ran over his dark hair and tried to fix it and his clothes. „How about you tell me where I am and why. The last thing I remember were having a fun with the little empress Miss Kaldwin.“  
I rubbed my throat. „Your choking attempt would have been nicer in a different context though.“ he raised his eyebrows slightly and I continued „Good to see that my reputation precedes me, even in Karnaca.“ „I was in Dunwall once, too, if you don‘t remember, on the Academy of Natural Philosophy. Heard some stories about you, some were better, some were worse, but which are considered good or bad, is in the eye of the beholder. “ „Indeed. Though I am curious what you heard“ I leaned closer to him „and even more, about what you did.“ I smirked and repositioned myself. He didn‘t answer. Okay.  
„Back to your original question. We are on a ship, the Dreadful Wale. And why? Well I don‘t even know why I am here. Seems like they need us for something. And with us, I mean you, me and Sokolov.“ He puckered his eyebrows and murmured „So she got him after all. I see.“ and after a break „I think I know exactly why she needs us.“  
„And that would be?“ He crossed his arms and made a gesture to the door „Get me some whiskey and the best food you can find first. And put some cut apples and ice in the glass.“ Now it was my time to rise my eyebrows. „Was this an order?“ „I thought you graduated?“ Fine. 

I stood up, went to the kitchen, got myself a bottle of whiskey, a plate with fruits and some bread. I entered the room again „Ah, that took you long enough. You know, its nice to have...“ While he was talking I made myself comfortable on my bed, half sitting half lying with the plate on my legs. Carefully cutting the apple, opening the whiskey bottle, putting them in, shaking it and finally granting myself a generous amount. „Ah you are right. Great idea, now I know why they call you grand inventor.“ I took a bite of the bread, „So..“ with my mouth full „what is nice to have?“ He didn‘t answer, of course. He just stared at me, with a slightly angry but amused face.  
„It is nice to have some company, that isn‘t made out of metal or crawling up your ass.“  
I nodded, took another sip before throwing the bottle and the other loaf of bread to him. He emptied a quarter of the bottle. „Thirsty, I see. You know that alcohol is responsible for the death of many braincells?“ „I do have enough for the entire world population.“ We ate in silence, only and chewing and swashing liquid could be heard.

The pain in my hand returned and I went to steal a bit of the painkiller - health elixir and get some new bandages. Emily came towards me on my way to the main room „Is he awake?“ I nodded „Good.“ and she went straight to him.  
Sokolov wasn‘t in the main room anymore and the elixir was gone, too. Shit. I searched the whole room, but they probably brought it wherever they brought him.  
I moved further, through a small workshop until I stood in front of a small door. I could someone snoring. That must be him. If I was just quiet enough, it should work.  
I opened the door a bit and entered. The room was dimmed, on the left was Sokolov sleeping, next to him the elixir on the ground, Great. I sneaked through the room, carefully, trying not to wake him. I reached the bottle and filled a bit into my pipette and took a sip, as well. Time to leave.  
Fuck. I knocked over a bottle that I haven‘t seen before and the bloodflies woke up. Bloodflies? They were pressing against the glass of the terrarium, desperately trying to get their food: me and Sokolov. His snoring had stopped and I was standing there like an idiot still with the flask in my hand. What was he doing with those blooflies?  
Maybe I could infect someone. I just need someone to volunteer. But whom?  
The bloodflies gave up and the humming stopped gradually. „Mhmmm...mmily...no.“ I stopped breathing, but that was all he said. Seems like he was still sleeping. Time to get out, now.

I moved back to my room as fast a possible before someone else would find out what I was doing. The door was closed but I could hear Emily very clear through the door „...how did she do it and how is she doing this? I am asking you one last time Jindosh.“ Silence. „Alright. Time to go for plan B then. You will wish you had just told me.“ Steps towards the door and behind me, the door opened. Emily stepped out and told the person behind me „He won‘t talk, time for plan B.“ „I will prepare everything.“ Meagen answered.  
Emily put her hand on my shoulder „Sleep. We will need you tomorrow. How is your hand?“ „It is, well, not good, but at least I still have my right one.“ „Good.“ and she left. 

Jindosh was still sitting in the same position, but looked less confident than before.  
I decided it would be better to leave him alone.  
I walked over to the counter and started to cure my hand. It looked better now, but still extremely swollen. I was able to examine it a little better now. All my fingers were broken, my wrist too, the thumb was still intact. I breathed in and out, I had to do it. With one quick movement I turned my wrist in the right angle again. Cracking.  
The pain was unbelievable. My knees failed, I hold myself up on the counter, tears streaming over my cheeks, me banging my head against the wood, again. Breathing in and out. In and Out.  
I decided to leave the rest of my bones as deformed as they were for today and bandaged it tight. While wiping away my tears with the back of my shirt, I turned to Jindosh to get the bottle of Whisky. It was still in his hand, almost empty. 

„Do you still need it? Because I do.“ He gave it to me without a word. I mixed a bit of the elixir in and used it to wash down two more pills. „What happened?“ He asked, nodding his head to my left hand. „Smashed it. Jumped through a window. Didn‘t want to get killed by the crown killer.“ He didn‘t say anything and turned away.  
I hesitated for a moment „..What..what did Emily want? What was...“ he interrupted me „Nothing.“ and lied down, facing the wall. I was too tired and too light headed to respond. So I did the same, extinguished the lights and went to bed.

A minute passed „I might have made a big mistake.“ he admitted quietly slurring.


	5. Chapter 5

The night was short and full of interruptions. As promised, Meagen visited us every two hours, not the best thing for a light sleeper. After the third time I decided it wasn‘t worth trying anymore.

And I wasn‘t the only one. Jindosh was already sitting on his mattress as well. Now only in his white shirt, with rolled up sleeves and the collar folded down, fumbling with his handcuffs. His scarf was lying next to him.  
„Don‘t let Meagen or Emily see that.“ he didn‘t answer, just let go of them, leaned back and stared out of the closed metal window. His behavior was concerning and I asked him more carefully this time „Coffee maybe?“ He nodded. I thought he was harder to crack, strange.

As I walked to the kitchen I caught a glimpse at the time, 4.30. Some hot water was already on the stove and I found some coffee powder on the shelf above.

Back in the room he was fumbling with his handcuffs again, this time more desperate. Ignoring his actions I handed him his mug and sat on the ground. The coffee mug standing next to me, I reached for my backpack, spread out my notes in front of me and began sorting them into fine, readable, might be able to recover and trash.

Halfway through I had to stop, the rattling of the chain was louder, more frequent and very annoying. I opened my mouth, ready to throw a furious comment at him, but I kept it under control when I saw him. His mug was standing on the ground, he was desperately shaking the chain of his handcuff - very irrational, even for a person not as intelligent as he is - his face was pale and sweaty, nervously glancing between the door and the windows. Claustrophobia.  
We needed more space or at least an illusion of it, maybe opening the window will be enough. Without thinking about it twice I stepped over him and opened the window.

A nice cold breeze filled the room. I closed my eyes and inhaled for a second, before I turned and kneeled down in front of Jindosh. He was sitting still now, eyes closed, breathing in and out deeply. „It is okay, I know you can‘t leave right now if you want to, but I am here, we have some fresh air, there won‘t be oxygen deficit in here.“  
He nodded and shoved me aside, hands still shaking, then tapping each finger on one hand with his thumb.  
I left him trying to calm himself and moved back and sat down, watching him from the corner of my eye. His breathing slowed down a bit. I never had a claustrophobic patient, but I read and researched about phobia and fear in general and their neural correlates before. I continued with sorting my work. The ’trash‘ pile climbed up higher and higher, great. I put the last sheet onto the readable pile and observed my finished result. Half of my work was useless. Suddenly angry, I smashed them to a giant ball and threw them out of the window. I felt incredibly empty, my research had been everything I had, everything I could rely on, my main coping method for everything. Some of the sheets were even from before the plague, notes, never published. I felt like crying, but I wasn‘t able to.

I sank down with the back on the wall, until I dropped on the floor. I had been thinking about killing myself some times, once or twice a month, depending on how my research was going and, of course, how I felt in general, but I would never do it. I love life and my work just too much and not all was lost. But right now, I would love to throw myself out of the window into the ocean. One hand left, half of my research gone, nowhere to go, no friends, no family.

At least one of us seems to recover. Jindosh was sitting upright now, his face back at his normal color, the mug of coffee in his hands. He grimaced after he took a gulp and asked towards me „So. What is this all about?“ „These..“ and I needed all of my inner strength to get up and back to my leftovers „..were or are, my research notes from the past 15 years. And half of it, didn‘t survive the bath I had to take.“ I dropped down onto the floor. „I am sorry.“ he answered seriously, he set the mug aside and moved to the edge of the mattress „What was your latest research about? The last thing I read was your article on the role of the frontal lobe and the amygdalae regarding people infected by the plague. Very informing by the way...But 5 years ago you stopped publishing, I wonder why.“ he noted with an evil grin. „Well, not that I didn‘t try. Unfortunately no one wanted to print anything for me anymore.“  
I handed him the last few notes I wrote „Here. I assume that the Nest Keepers show the same deficits in the frontal lobe and amygdalae like the plague victims did. I have no real evidence yet. Back at Addermire, research conditions weren‘t the best, but at least I was able to work.“ He scanned the notes and took another sheet from the pile „How did you end up there anyway?“ he mumbled, still absorbed by my notes. „Do you want to hear it from the beginning?“ He nodded. Fine. „I hope there is something in there for me too.“

„When I was 18 I was accepted at the Academy of Natural Philosophy. Most likely only because my parents had been sponsors and made sure I was going to have the best education you can get. 5 years later I got my diploma in medicine and psychology and kept on working and researching there, planning to do my Dr.rer.nat in neuroscience. I was working for Sokolov and with him on his cure for the plague, human test subjects were the norm, extremely efficient, but ethically problematic. Then one day he was gone. Abducted by Corvo, which I didn‘t knew at that point and I didn‘t care. So I was left with healthy and intentionally infected test subjects and the problem, that the elixir was too expensive to cure the whole population of Dunwall. I mixed around a bit until I found the solution that made it cheaper and less effective, but injected and not taken orally, it had almost the same effects.“  
„Very interesting biography so far, but I want the dirty details.“  
„There were enough infected to work on and I wrote my dissertation on how to cure the plague and the effects of Sokolovs health elixir on the brain and the body...I also took some blood of the infected and with some I mean a lot, before I left the Academy and moved to my parents house a few miles away. It was great, perfect conditions for research since my dad had his laboratory there. Problem was: the plague was over, most of the population cured or the infected banned. And I was trapped in a save zone with my curiosity.“  
„Ah, I see, so you simply made your own test subjects.“ „Exactly. And no one knew. After I published said article, some people had doubts, so I told them, I asked Sokolov and took the ones, who weren‘t capable of anything anyway, with me. They believed me...“ „...and you thought why stop there. Why only infected when I can...“ „...have my own subjects, living or dead in every condition I want, when I want. This is what my research was based on. And some of my most popular ones even. 2 years later, I was doing an open brain surgery on a subject, who was a heavy drinker, as the doorbell rang. I thought the sedatives were strong enough, but apparently i miscalculated and he ran past me and my visitors with his head open and brain out. And that is basically what everyone knows, the guards came, searched my house, kicked me out and locked it up and I was asked nicely to leave the city. Human test subjects weren‘t that popular anymore than they were.“  
„But what about the three years before you came to Addermire. Why didn‘t you go anywhere else, maybe Karnaca even? I bet someone would have welcomed you with open arms.“  
„Dunwall was my home. I only knew this city and I didn‘t know if other ones would be even less accepting. So I hid and worked as a doctor for everything, illegally. Nothing special happened until Dr. Hypatia came by, her altruism guiding her and took me with her to her clinic, where I worked after that. Then she was brought to Addermire after the Duke visited her, the guards recognized me and just locked me up too.“

„Did you talk to Hypatia since then?“ „No, never. Not sure if she was in contact with anyone anyway. Well I mean, except that one day she tried to eat me.“  
He simply nodded, nothing else. „You knew. You knew something was wrong with Hypatia.“  
Jindosh answered still calm „Not directly. I know the Duke and his...methods. I was not informed, it just makes sense.“ he answered and after a break „Do you regret it?“

I had to think about that, I have asked myself this question many times in the past few years. „I do. But I don‘t know only because I got caught or if I am convinced that there are morally and ethically better ways for research, because I know that this is the case. The thing is, the results I got were just extremely interesting and efficient. So would I do it again? And I only tell you this, because I know you understand: I would.“

____________________________________________________________________________________________

She would. Interesting indeed. We had a lot in common.

Of course I knew what the Duke had done to Hypatia, he did not tell me, but with my clockwork soldiers everywhere, there was nothing I could not miss.

Faking the panic attack or rather enhancing it, was easy. Thanks to cognitive behavior therapy and my mansion, I kept my claustrophobia under control, but I knew it needs just one push, one small misattribution, to get the full palette of symptoms.  
She was there opening the window, even though she was not allowed to and will probably be punished. She was there, to calm me. And she told me, everything.  
What I heard and read about her the past few years was, she was always alone, never had any deeper relationships, the only research partner she worked with was Sokolov.  
Her attitude towards Emily Kaldwin seemed to be neutral to negative, to me, rather positive. Why? Maybe because I am the only one reliable to talk to? Maybe she thinks I am interesting, maybe she simply changed over the years.

So I had to test her, what side was she on? The results: mine and hers.  
I thought about working with her for some time, now. Projects, in which a neuroscientist with her knowledge, experience and skills would fit in perfectly and one with her back story and motivation even more.  
The question remains if she will let me use her and why.

The words ’I might have made a big mistake ‘ still circling in my head. Drinking was a mistake. I had never thought about it before, but doubts started to rise.  
„Do you regret it?“ I don‘t know.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it took me so long to update, I had a lot to do, but I will promise I will finish it. Thanks for all the nice comments and kudos, I hope you enjoy this chapter as well :)

I had stored all my notes into my backpack „So about your clockwork soldiers...I might have an idea...“ I said carefully to Jindosh right before Meagen appeared. Shit the window. „I thought I made the conditions clear.“ She commented, her voice cold.  
„I am sorry, I, I just needed some air, I haven‘t been out in weeks.“ I lied.  
„Then I have great news for you, while she stepped over Jindosh, kicking him aside, and closed the window „Emily is on the deck, she wants to talk to you.“ I nodded and left immediately. Hopefully Jindosh was safe, as long as I was gone. I liked him. 

I ran up the stairs and through the door. The warm and soft wind hit my face. The smell of the ocean was a relieve. For a moment I felt free, like I didn‘t the last few years. We were pretty close to the land again, I could see the clockwork mansion from here on the top of the mountain. Emily was sitting about fifteen meters away. 

„Ah, you are here. Please, have a seat.“ Emily was sitting on a wooden box, next to her was an open hatch - I think it is Sokolovs room - in front of her, a table and another box. On the table a can and two cups with a steaming liquid.  
Green Tea, I noticed as I took a sip. „So. How is your hand?“ Emily nodded in the direction of my left hand. „Well, it is better, but...“ „You are right-handed?“ she interrupted me „Yes.“ „You know that I saved your life. And you know that you owe me?“ I don‘t know where this was going, but I didn‘t like it one bit. „Yes.“ „Good. I want you to remember that.“ she emptied her cup and stood up „Enjoy your tea and then you can leave.“ I swallowed, but took my time to finish the tea. 

I found my room empty when I stepped back into it. I asked myself where they brought Jindosh, but then I remembered, that no one is on this ship for a relaxed vacation, so most likely he is interrogated in this moment.  
I had to admit I got used to him very fast, now, it felt like something was missing.  
Aimlessly standing in the middle of the room I thought about what I should do.  
I kneeled down and checked my backpack. Everything was sorted alphabetically. I could search for some papers and ink and rewrite them, but so far I haven‘t seen any of it on this ship. My bandages were in a pretty good condition as well.  
Maybe I could go back on the deck and enjoy the sun a bit? Good idea.

I went back the way I came and tried to open the metal door that leads to the deck. Blocked. Okay. Well, maybe some air? Back in my room I stepped over Jindoshs mattress. His window blocked, as well as mine. In the kitchen and every other room I checked as well. Now it was my time to feel claustrophobic. Right before I was ready to give up and about to trot back to my bed and just sleep, I saw a small beam of the setting sun shining through the bottom of Sokolovs door. 

„Addison?“ Emily appeared with a serious facial expression. „We need you in the machine room.“ I nodded and followed silently.  
Emily opened the door for me and I went through, she was walking down the stairs behind me. The room was dark, only some red light lit the room.  
I walked around the corner and saw Jindosh sitting in a medical chair, both arms and legs chained to it, his head sunken down on his chest, unconscious. As I stepped closer to him I recognized his shirt and pants were soaked with blood. It hurt me seeing him like this. Next to him was a medical tray, on it a scalpel, a drill and some syringes with liquid. Meagen was standing next to it. I was horrified and pretty sure what was about to happen. She grabbed one of the syringes and handed it to me „Wake him up.“ She ordered. I looked at her, then to Emily, who blocked the stairs. I didn‘t have a choice, did I? 

I injected the Adrenalin and waited for Jindosh to wake up. My hands resting on his thighs, I squat down. He knit his eyebrows and let loose a moan. When he was rising up his head I could see the damage they had done to him so far. His nose was probably broken, his lips swollen, blood everywhere on his face. His left eye bruised and as he opened them, I could see it was bloodshot as well. I was shocked, why would they do this? What did he know?  
Jindosh needed a few seconds to realize where he was and who was in front of him. As he recognized me, his eyes widened in terror „Addison?“ he whispered „No...“ and his eyes filled with tears. I raised my hand to put it on his cheek, but Meagen slapped it away and pulled me up „It is time to work. It must have been ages since you had a test subject and even a living one. I bet you are eager to start experimenting again.“  
No, no I really was not. I could not move. Suddenly a searing pain on my cheek, Meagen hit me. „Meagen no!“ Emily was at my side now. „Don‘t hurt her. Addison, you remember what we talked about on the deck?“ I wasn‘t able to speak, but nodded. I was looking at Jindosh unwavering and he at me. 

I wasn‘t sure how far they would push me, if this genius will ever be able to see, speak or move after I am finished with him. Killing would be the nicest option. We both knew that. I had so much to say to him, how inspiring I think his work was, how much I wanted to work with him, get to know him, but it was too late for that now.  
„Addison?“ Emily asked carefully, „please begin.“ I saw Meagen looking at Emily and her look told me, I should not waste more time. I formed ’I am so sorry’ with my mouth and turned away, moving behind Jindosh. 

I lift up the drill and waited for an order. Emily was back at the stairs, Meagen now in front of Jindosh „So, do you have anything to say? Anything interesting I mean.“ He didn‘t answer. Meagen leaned down on his arms, her face pretty close to his „Alright then. Lets see what we remove first? Your eyesight? I think you won‘t need that to answer anything. Or maybe we can make you say the truth somehow?“ She moved back and looked at me questioning. Lie, just lie I thought. But what options did I have? The closest areas without killing him was the cortex and his cerebellum.  
Occipital lobe? Destroying his vision. Parietal lobe? Permanent dysfunctions in his motivity and somatosensory. I might could try...“Lynch? I want you to start now, and tell me what you are going to do!“ Meagen ordered angrily. 

I moved around to Jindoshs front and marked a spot on the right upper side of the forehead. As I started to talk I was surprised on how calm my voice was, internally I was shaking „I am going to drill a hole into his forehead, leading to his frontal lobe, hoping to make him change his personality and tell us the truth, about what you need to know.“ Meagen smiled „Very well. One last chance Jindosh, how did Delilah do it? What is her secret?“ He didn‘t answer, just stared at the wall behind us. „Please start.“  
I nodded and added „After I drilled through the skull, he won‘t feel any pain, so we have to wait for a change in his behavior or drill a few more.“ I explained to them and hoped Jindosh got the hints. 

My right hand - calm as ever - on the drill, my left one supporting it, I positioned it on the marked spot and started drilling. His skin ripped open, he wanted to pull his head away, but the metal construction prevented him from doing it. Blood was streaming out of the hole now, I hit the skull bone and Jindosh started screaming in pain. „Tell us Jindosh, tell us everything!“ Meagen screamed over the drilling sound. Why wasn‘t Jindosh talking? What could be more valuable than his life or more terrifying than this situation? He whined loudly, while I kept drilling, my eyes filling with tears, I closed them. I am sorry, I am so, so sorry. Tears streaming down my face. 

This never was difficult for me, but I never saw my test subjects as human beings. And now, I have drill someones head open, who is a genius, an inspiring example, a potential friend. The drill rocked forward, I opened my eyes, I drilled through the skull. Jindosh must have felt that too, his whining and screaming, stopped abruptly.  
Either he was a pretty good actor or the adrenalin numbed his pain, or maybe both.  
„Wait!“ Meagen ordered and I removed the drill. Blood was constantly seeping out of the hole in his head. 

Jindosh opened his mouth „Duke Luca Abele.“ he said uninflected and stiff. „What else?“ Emily asked „Duke Luca Abele.“ he repeated again in the same tone. „Yes, but what about him?“ „Duke Luca Abele.“ He simply said again. I didn‘t even touch the brain with the drill, his show was impressive. Emily and Meagen seemed to believe it.  
Meagen asked again, increasingly angry „What did he do?“ „Duke Luca Abele.“  
She looked at me „What did you do?“ „I did what you told me, complications can happen, you have your name, what else..“ She hit me again, harder this time, I fell and hit my head on the metal post, a piercing pain and something hot and wet on my forehead.  
Emily was at my side „Duke Luca Abele. Mansion. Inside.“ Jindosh added, and we looked at him „Inside. Secret.“  
„Is that all you need?“ I asked and broke free from Emilys grip and lurched away from them. She seemed upset „Yes. Meagen bring them upstairs, give them some painkillers and bandages. We meet in my room after that.“

She opened Jindoshs locks and I allowed him to use my shoulders for support. We made our way back to the room, Emily in front of us and Meagen behind. Back in there she chained him up again and threw some bandages, alcohol and painkillers in the room before she left. I grabbed them and downed some pills with alcohol, Jindoshs hand already waiting for me to share the items, ready to mimic my action. I prepared two bandages and securing one around my head before I turned to him with the intention to subserve him. „Jindosh? How are you?“ I asked him.

He pulled me close by my shirt, his face one hand width apart, I could smell his blood „Kill me!“ „What?!“ „Do it. Trust me. Drown me!“ he whispered. He must have lost it, maybe I did drill too deep. I teared away from his grip, still looking at him, questioning his sanity, when he quickly removed his handcuffs - when did he crack them? - and attached the ones that were around his ankles to my wrist and the other one to his. „What are you doing?!“ „I am saving our lives.“ he spat out.  
„Is there a way we can leave this ship? As far as I saw, they locked everything up.“ „Yes,“ I whispered, „I saw a beam of sunlight under Sokolovs door and there is a hatch in there.“ „So the only way out is in Sokolovs room?“ „I guess...“ „Okay lets go.“ He stood up, took my hand, I quickly grabbed my backpack, he opened the door and started running towards Sokolovs room, dragging me behind him. 

We entered and locked the door behind us, Sokolov was sleeping, the bloodflies humming. Jindosh looked at me, I understood and nodded to the top, 2 meters above, where the hatch was open, we could see the stars. We searched the room, no ladder, nothing, just a small chair. We put it on the table, it was still not high enough. I checked under the bed but all I found was a can with spirit.  
A sudden hard knock on the door behind us let us spin around. „Sokolov?“ Shit, well seems like Meagen didn‘t check on us yet. Sokolov was moving around in his sleep. Jindosh and I looked at each other „We need to leave.“, he took a small pillow and pressed it on Sokolovs face exactly when he was waking up. His scream was suffocated by the pillow, but still quite hearable. „Sokolov? Everything alright?“ Meagen asked, louder. Jindosh was pressing harder now, both arms and muscles shaking, but Sokolov kept moving. The elixir, I made was next to him, but no syringe. I climbed on top of him, sitting on his chest, pressing down his arms with my legs and looked at Jindosh, showing him the flask. He nodded and lifted up the pillow. 

„HEL..!“ Sokolov screamed before I was able to ram the whole flask in his mouth. He coughed. „Swallow!“ Jindosh ordered and held Sokolovs nose. „Hello?? Sokolov?? Who is in...No“ Meagen was banging against the door. Sokolovs eyes rolled back, finally. 

I stood up and climbed on the table then onto the chair, I could reach the hatch with my hands, but it was too high to pull myself up. But he could and did. He was stronger than he looked. Jindosh pulled me up, until I could kneel on his shoulders and pull me up outside. 

A second voice appeared on the door „What is it? Where are Jindosh and Addison, Meagen?!“ We both held our breath „No...the hatch.“ and one pair of feet ran away, while Meagen seemed to have found a second key for the door. I tried to pull Jindosh up, but he was too heavy. We needed more time. Maybe...

„Give me the can!“ He reached down and I almost fell through the hole. I opened the can and poured it over Jindosh. „What the fuck?!“ he spluttered I didn‘t answer and poured the rest over me and the deck. „Lighter?“ was all I could say to him, the spirit burning in my nose and eyes. I heard glass shattering, a door burst open and saw Emily running towards me. The bloodflies gave Jindosh a bit of time - seems like my bloodflies don‘t like the smell of spirit theory was right - he handed me the lighter which I threw onto the deck. A wall of flames rising up next to me, crawling in our direction but separating Emily from us. 

I collected all my strength to pull Jindosh up. We were both panting on the deck now, looking at each other. A shooting pain on my back, the smell of burned clothes and hair, I screamed in pain. „No, not now!“ Jindosh pulled me up and carried my burning self to the railing throwing us into the cold darkness. 

The cold water was a relieve, but I could hardly keep myself on the water surface.  
„We have to swim, just a bit, about 10 meters in this direction.“ he showed me.  
I tried my best, but waves of fatigue were breaking over me now. I was so tired, but I kept swimming. I must have been too slow,because Jindosh supported me about five meters before his strength left him as well. He pulled me close, I rest my head on his shoulder and we sank down into the ocean, the water pressing against me. We sank deeper and deeper, until I felt nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

2nd Day, the Month of Wind 1852 10:15 am

She is still unconscious, the fourth day now. She was almost dead when arriving at my mansion, two of my modified clockwork soldiers had pulled us out of the ocean. (Still a huge success) My condition now: average. My broken nose was fixed but I could do nothing about my hematoma and the sprained ankle. The more concerning matter is the hole in my forehead. The part of my skull, shredded in pieces, is still on the Dreadful Wale and I surely don‘t want one of my test subjects part in my head. I am still trying to figure out, which material would be the best replacement and how to get it. Luckily, Addison seems to be as skilled as she claims to be, nothing in my behavior or personality had changed.

To go to a specialist wouldn‘t be the best move to do now, since Miss Kaldwin or whoever might be looking for us, besides I doubt that he or she could do more then me or her. Locking up my mansion and activating all of my clockwork soldiers is the least I can do at the moment, even in my bedroom and bathroom are patrolling five of them, firing all of my employees: a necessity. If I would only know how to produce them with inexpensive resources and more important, how to make them more deadly, smarter and protective. I wouldn't have to rely on those, that were my employees and never had to fear Miss Kaldwin or the Royal Protector would come back in.

I remember that Addison wanted to talk with me about an idea she had. I have to wait for that and for surgery until she wakes up, I have a suspicion about what she had in mind, but we will see if it will be confirmed.

 

~~I am really thankful~~

~~I am glad that she~~

I appreciate her work and efforts.

 

Jindosh

 

I closed the book and the lock around it closed automatically. The button I pressed under my desk, made a hidden drawer appear, where I laid it in. I was sitting at my desk, leaning back in my armchair for a while, listening to the static humming and clicking of the machines around me. From time to time I granted myself a drag of my hand pipe. It was a completely new one, since the last was lost somewhere on or on the way to the Dreadful Wale. The taste and smoke development, was a lot better in this one, I was inspired by the Hookah I heard Miss Kalwin talking about one evening and before I fired Miranda, I ordered her to get me some of the best ones. Now I have quite the collection of them and tobacco gathered all over the place.

Making my way down the stairs, with one hand around the crutch, the other on the railing, was painful, I felt each step in my joints. Over the glass platforms and past my chem lab, to the newly build up medical tent. „Good morning sir.“ The machine that was guarding the tent, greeted me.

When I entered I heard the heart machine was beating in a steady rhythm, good. I moved to the end of the bed and took the clipboard that was attached to it. Her blood levels are fine, but could be better. I moved over her, injected some more serum and inspected her newly transferred skin. It seems to heal pretty well, the donor was a perfect match. She might wake up in a few hours.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________

 

Darkness. It was cold and I was so tired. A painful stroke on my chest, vomiting, coughing, than someone screaming and clicking sounds. Darkness again.

Now, the opposite. Too bright. The white penetrated my eyes, even when closed. My eyelids too heavy to open. A machine beeping, someone stroking my forehead and cheek. Silence. Darkness.

The next time the white appeared, it didn't feel that painful, rather calming. The beeping was gone as well. I opened my eyes. I was staring at the ceiling of a white tent. Carefully I tried to sit up and looked around.

Next to me, on my left side was a heart machine, turned off now. Surely this was the source of the beeping sound from before. On my right side was a infusion, with a bright red liquid. The infusion were dangling against the metal rod. I checked my inner arms, it had definitely been in there, but I guess my body was healed enough or the serum was strong enough to prevent the pain from coming back for the next few hours.

I saw a creme colored letter on my lap. I unfolded it, in an elegant and twirly, but rather messy handwriting was written:

 

Dear Addison,

 

The exact time of your awakening was precarious.

You had third degree burnings, especially your back was in a pretty bad condition. I found a donor, who was a nearly perfect match. You should feel fine now. You are at my mansion, in a tent at my office.

The probability of a temporary amnesia is about 50%, so if you don't know what you are doing here, visit me in my atelier or the balcony around there. Along the corridor, up the stairs or take the elevator, one of the following doors. The machines are friendly.

 

If you experience no amnesia, welcome back, you know where to find me.

 

Jindosh

 

I leaned back and closed my eyes. Tried to remember.

A sharp pain, the cold ocean, waves trying to drown me, the humming of 3 bloodflies. Blood, dripping out of a hole in a forehead, glass shattering, me leaning over a sink, vomiting, my left hand, bandaged and bloody. My hand.

Quickly I opened my eyes and looked at it, a bandage was wrapped around each finger, I could see what was underneath it. I hadn't even noticed that I used it to hold the letter, but now that I noticed, it felt different. I lift it up and tried to make a fist, it didn't work. It felt heavier, but didn't hurt. Was it save to unwrap?

I was looking around to find something sharp, but I didn't see anything.Slowly I stood up and grabbed the crutches, which were placed next to my bed. My feet touched the cold glass floor, underneath I saw enormous gears. I leaned on the crutches and stood up, I felt a bit dizzy but with each step it got better.

When I stepped out of the tend, it took my breath away. The office was huge. A giant, round, two or three floored room. I was standing on the first floor. The setting sun was shining through the glass dome twenty meters above my head. Two clockwork soldiers were marching around the balcony on the second floor, in a steady rhythm, watching it was hypnotizing.I let my eyes wander downwards, on one quarter of the round glass floor was a chem and on the next a medical lab. Maybe there will be some scissors there.

Before I was able to make my way to check, one of the clockwork soldiers stepped in front of me, he must have been behind the tent. It was about two meters high, it whirred and hummed endlessly. "Okay, the machine has detected – something…" the head turned towards me a small lens in the hole of the eyes focusing me "Idling. Commence lens refocus." and a cracking sound „...Addison I see you are awake. Meet me on the balcony, along the corridor, up the stairs or take the elevator here in my office and then the last door on the left.“ cracking again. The clockwork soldier rose his head up "Still idling. Take this opportunity to backcharge second coil." and kept walking past me.

With those crutches I'd rather not take the stairs, so I looked for the elevator.The ten minutes it took me, to get to the last door of the corridor, were totally worth it. Apart from the brilliant and aesthetically pleasing architecture, there were so many things to touch and turn. I could only imagine how much this whole mansion had to offer.

I opened the door. I was standing in a bathroom. What. For a second I thought I chose the wrong one, but in front of me was a small console and a note, the door snapped as I walked towards the note. “Stand on the platform and push me”. Was written in the same handwriting as the letter. In front of me a platform with a bathtub on in and a mirror on the wall. I climbed clumsily on the platform and moved closer to the mirror to inspect myself.

My hair was cut shorter, now barley longer than my chin. I was wearing a tight white leggings, a tight turtle neck, that looked like bandages over bandages and a wide t shirt over it. Besides that I didn't notice anything different, my face even looked a bit fuller than it did at Addermire.

I turned around tried to maintain a steady position and pushed the button.Gleaming sunlight surprised me as I tried to not fall down as the platform, the bathtub and the whole wall moved in a horizontal 180 degree angle. My eyes needed a few minutes to get used to the sunlight. It was warm, around 20 degree Celsius I would have guessed. The ceiling was about four or five meters high and was hold by giant archways made out of stone. There were plants everywhere, it was beautiful. And even more beautiful was the view I detected in the background. I walked towards the railing to get a better look. “Addison!” I heard Jindosh calling me and I turned my head around.

He was sitting, legs crossed, on the right, in front of him a couch table with a smoking hookah “The view from here is as good as any on here” and he tapped on the space next to him. He stood up and reached out to me as I walked around the table, I took his hand, thankfully. The couch itself was very comfortable, with my right hand I stroked over the fabric, silk. Jindosh poured something to drink in the cup in front of me, but I was too busy with taking in the whole surrounding.

Only the bubbling of the hookah and the smoke blurring my view let me snap out of my trance. I looked at Jindosh who was exhaling another drag. He had a bandage around is forehead and his nose was still a little purple and yellow. He was wearing one of his white shirts again, pulled up to the elbows. Wordlessly he handed me the tube and I took a strong puff. It tasted like wild berries and mint. So we sat there in silence, only the bubbling and the birds twittering could be heard. Until Jindosh cleared his throat “I suppose you have questions?” He put down the tube and turned towards me his right arm on the backrest.

“Yes. Firstly, what happened? The last thing I remember is pretty much drowning and yeah, pain.”

“Before they brought me into the machine room I cought a glimpse out of the window and saw we were pretty close to the mainland and my mansion. So I started to plan our escape, back in our room I managed to find a small pin I found on the ground, foolish of them really, but before I could do anything about it, I was beaten unconscious and strapped to a chair. You know the rest of the story. But how did we survive you want to ask?

I was getting more and more paranoid working together with the Duke and Delilah, for obvious reasons, and I needed a way out, if it would get too…lets say serious. I implanted a very small device into my aorta, which sends feedback to one of my clockwork soldiers. If my heart rate would fall into a critical state, he would come and bring me back to my office. Unfortunately the radius is still pretty small and the whole device is still in development, but it worked.” he smiled self-pleased and tapped himself on the shoulder “Impressive.” I said sarcastically, but then I remembered I would be dead without him and added an honest smile. “He, the clockwork soldier, is still a little rough and can't actually provide medical assistance, but he brought us back. You were in a worse condition than I, so I started helping you first. Before I fired all my human employees – a safety measure -, I let them gather everything I needed. Transferring the skin was pretty hard, I am not gonna lie, but I did it...and your hand well...” I pointed at it “Can I?” he nodded.

My heart was beating faster when I unwrapped and unwrapped, until I could see skin and now I saw why it felt so heavy. To each of my fingers cables and wire were attached. Thick metal constructions were build around them. I tried to move one of them. Nothing. In shock I looked at him. “I am sorry Addison, I couldn't save it” Jindosh said and he sounded truly sorry. “The muscles and nerves have been cut off somehow, right? And why those constructions.” “Well, I still want to try something, but not without your permission. I want to recreate your hand, mechanically. But it proves to be harder than I thought. It will need some time.” I looked down at it. Losing one of my limbs...Something I would have never imagined. “But I think with your knowledge it would be faster and in the mean time I made a small device like a watch, to control the construction. Its in my office if you want to try it.”

My eyes were filling with tears but I managed to swallow everything and as I started talking my voice was only a little bit rough.

“So...How are you feeling?” “Except for the hole in my forehead its fine.” “May I?” He nodded again. I moved closer to him and shoved the bandage upwards. The whole was still there, the way I drilled it in. Just cleaner. A wave of guilt rushed over me and must have mirrored in my face because Jindosh looked at me seriously “It is not your fault. We get this fixed.”

I lifted my right hand and stroke over his forehead, then over his eyebrow to his cheek. I noticed his hand has followed a smilar route. His thumb was caressing my jaw. I was close to crying again “Jindosh…” I looked into his brown eyes “Thank you.” I kissed him and he kissed me back.


	8. Epilogue

We didn't talk about the kiss for months. We had more important things to do.

My mechanical hand made a lot of progress, we decided to remove my old one and to replace it completely. It was pretty close to a human hand now, regarding the movements at least. And we managed to find a surgical material to cover up the hole in Jindoshs skull, so only a small scar could be seen.

 The reduction of the costs of the clockwork soldiers was successful. We also created a more lively AI and different models. One strictly for heavy attacks, one for stealth and assassinations, one for pure defense and other ones for the satisfaction of needs. We worked together on the designs, some got metallic wings, some heavy armor. The AI was a more difficult task, which is still in the early stages. We managed to replicate the human brain, but in a mechanical way.

 Jindosh thankfully had some living test subjects left. Our first few prototypes were still attached to them. I made a lot of progress and started creating an entire map of the brain, with different colors and numerals for each area. So we found out which part we should reproduce and rewire how for each model. Jindosh mainly focused on the mechanical and I did the neurological and the psychological part.

 It took us about 4 month working day and night before our first prototype was finished. After that it went on a lot quicker. After 6 month we had our first stealth assassin clockwork soldier. Still too late, because it was disabled by Emily Kaldwin herself. She simply chopped both arms off and beheaded it. It was stumbling through the room bumping into the walls and furniture, poor thing. Meanwhile Jindosh and I were kneeling on the ground next to each other, both handcuffed and ten guards around us.

“Miss Kaldwin, or should I say Empress? Why come yourself to kill us and not send the good old royal protector Daddy?” Jindosh asked her in his devaluating but amused tone. “Because I didn't came here to kill you.” She marched up and down in front of us circling her sword casually. “I am here to make an offer.”

 And so we kept our lives and got the resources we needed.

And the price? The newly formed ethical review committee made a visit, confiscated a lot, gave us a lecture and we had to sign a contract, in which we agreed to follow the orders. They come and visit every month, heavily armed. Secondly the clockwork soldiers were now less expensive to create, but still not available for everyone. The militia models only for the imperial palace and important facilities and people that needed protection - us included. Empress Kaldwin had too much doubt in producing too many of them, because of the threat of reprogramming, so they wouldn't be able to handle them all. So every clockwork soldier as his own code and chip to track and manage from far away.

Jindosh and I speculated about the chances of reprogramming once. We both came to the conclusion it would be nothing but stupid. Everyone who has been on Delilahs side was either dead or immobilized. Jindosh and I were the ones who were lucky enough to have our lives, a nice mansion, our work, actually everything we need to live a happy life.

One year after we started working for Empress Kaldwin we were invited to a masked ball for the reopening of the Royal Conservatory. It was also the first time we left our mansion since the escape. Jindosh was wearing his brown suit, which he was always wearing, and I something similar. A brown suit with broad shoulders, a small waist and golden applications. It kinda looked like as if a clockwork soldier, Jindosh and a military uniform had a threesome. We both were wearing wooden bird skull masks and brown leather gloves.

 “Ready?” he asked me and turned his head to me, I nodded and we entered the ballroom. The room was crowded, as we walked through it, we were greeted with different moods. Some started talking behind their hands, some turned away, some even threatened us directly and some others simply nodded or shook our hands congratulating us. So we grabbed ourselves some wine and whiskey as soon as we were able to. We also met Empress Kalwin, Corvo and Sokolov and talked for a bit. The whole situation was awkward, but we managed it.

As the orchestra started to play a new song, my alcoholized self prevailed and pulled Jindosh to the middle of the hall where others were already dancing. “I hope waltzing is on of your secret talents.” I smirked. He bowed down in front of me with his left hand behind his back, before he grabbed my hand and waist and answered “My Lady, I lead.” and we submerged in the dancing crowd. It seemed to be one of his secret talents after all.

 Time passed in which we danced, drank and talked to various people, but we grew tired and decided to explore the Conservatory. Both equipped with clipboards, taking notes and discussing ideas when we came across something interesting, until we ended up on the fourth floor. With each floor more and more people disappeared, eventually we were alone.

 I removed my mask and leaned over the railing, the talking, laughing and screaming could still be heard, but muted. Jindosh appeared next to me and mimicked my movements. I glanced over to him while he wiped the sweat off his face with a cloth, he glanced back to me. And it hit me again.

 

He smells of whiskey, wood, aftershave and

berries. They way she descends into her work, analyzing, drawing and

his ability to combine even the smallest, most difficult tasks and parts.

He leaning back in his chair, massaging both of his temples after we had a heavy discussion again and

the sound of her bursting out laughing even after the biggest disagreements.

The way he moves, elegant, reserved and

those red lips, blowing out the smoke, forming coils of smoke.

The thought if losing him...

The thought if losing her…

 

I remembered the kiss. It was short but intense and we had never talked about it. I opened my mouth but he was faster “Addison? We need to talk.”

He walked away from me with his hands on his back, I followed. He stopped on the other side of the room, where the railing was still overgrown with ivy and the night sky could be seen through the glass ceiling.

 He turned to me, I have never seen him this nervous. “Addison, we know us for a while now, together we have been through a lot. And before I met you I had never imagined to be able to think and feel this way for someone. To be honest, I felt nothing but weak. But now after almost two years working together, I know this is not the case, at least not entirely. I think we are great as a team and it's hard, if not impossible, to imagine someone else at my side who would be more fitting for me as a partner.” he made a small break “Addison, I love you and want to spend the rest of my days with you, be it for work or for something else. Will you marry me?”

Between the tears that had been streaming down my face the entire speech, I exclaimed an “Yes” and I kissed him.

I finally felt home.

 

 In the following years we kept doing what we loved.

Jindosh opened his own small museum in the style of the clockwork mansion.

I published a newly made book with detailed descriptions and maps of all the areas and it functions of the brain I had discovered yet.

We had visitors more often, even Emily and Corvo were among them from time to time. Wehired some new and some old employees, but still kept our clockwork soldiers around.

In the evenings we mostly sat on the balcony, enjoying the view and each others company. We tried to live moments as much as we could, because we knew well enough, that things can change pretty fast, to bad and to even worse.

 

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So..it is done. This is actually my first story which was longer than one chapter and it was an interesting experience to see how it developed over the time. But I like how it turned out and i hope you enjoyed reading it as well. I often thought about the case happy ending or not and how to properly make a relationship work for both characters, but I think this is the best happy but still open ending solution.   
> Plus this is canon for me now, I still try to repress what Arkane forced me to do to Jindosh  
> Anyway,  
> Thank you all for all your support and keeping up with it even though it took me a while to finish it.  
> Lots of Love, your author <3


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